Hurricane “John” claims at least 29 lives in Mexico
Hurricane “John” has claimed at least 29 lives since its landfall as a Category 3 Hurricane in the Mexican state of Guerrero on September 24, 2024. The system brought significant rainfall to the region with parts of Guerrero receiving around 950 mm (37 inches) of rain due to the storm.
Image credit: Joanne
- Hurricane “John” has caused at least 29 deaths in Mexico since landfall, with 23 reported in the state of Guerrero alone.
- Parts of Guerrero saw around 950 mm (37 inches) of total rainfall, while at least 80 landslides were reported in the state of Oaxaca.
- Around 25 000 personnel were deployed to deal with the aftermath, and around 5 000 citizens were rescued, of which around 3 800 were put in 80 shelters.
At least 29 people have died in Mexico due to floods and landslides caused by Hurricane “John.” The remnants of the hurricane battered Mexico’s coastline for a week, prompting evacuations in southwestern areas on Saturday, September 28.
The storm, which rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane, made landfall on September 24 at Marquelia in Guerrero at approximately 03:20 UTC. John tore through the region with winds reaching 193 km/h (120 mph) and a central pressure of 959 hPa, weakening to a tropical storm within 12 hours.
Severe flooding and landslides followed four days of continuous rain, with parts of Guerrero receiving 950 mm (37 inches) of rain. This amount is nearly triple what Category 5 Hurricane “Otis” brought to the region in October 2023. Otis claimed lives of 52 people and left 32 missing.
The state of Guerrero suffered the highest death toll, with at least 23 fatalities reported. Five deaths occurred in Oaxaca, and a young boy drowned in Michoacán after being swept away by a river.
John made landfall two days before Hurricane “Helene” which devasted the U.S. after making landfall near Florida’s Big Bend.
At least 80 landslides buried several homes in Oaxaca, while entire communities were cut off as roads became impassable in some parts.
At least 19 neighborhoods were completely submerged, with flooding affecting around 2 000 homes. Several rivers breached their banks, exacerbating the flooding and landslides. In Acapulco, at least 13 restaurants collapsed.
In the Diamante area of Puerto Marques two large sinkholes had formed in the aftermath of the storm that brought strong waves to the region. Several tourists were also left stranded in the region.
The DN-III, Navy, National Guard, and Civil Protection deployed around 25 000 personnel to deal with the situation. Around 5 000 people were housed in 80 shelters, accommodating approximately 3 800 people.
The economic losses due to Hurricane “John” are estimated to be between 1 to 1.5 billion pesos (50 to 76 million dollars), according to the leader of Canaco de Servytur Acapulco.
References:
1 Hurricane John – NHC – released at 03:20 UTC on September 24, 2024
2 Death toll from Hurricane John rises to 29 – Meganoticias – September 29, 2024
3 Huracán John deja casi 3 veces más lluvia que Otis – Meganoticias – September 28, 2024
4 Tropical Storm John turns deadly after slamming into Mexico, bringing heavy rain and landslides – CNN – September 24, 2024
5Mexico counting dead from ‘zombie storm’ John – BBC – September 30, 2024
6 Acapulco: John’s impact could result in losses of up to 1.5 billion pesos – Proceso – September 24, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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